Sameer Rizvi produced a stunning power-hitting display as Kanpur Superstars defeated Noida Kings by eight wickets in Match 25 of the UP T20 League 2026.
The match was played at Green Park Stadium in Kanpur. The win kept Kanpur’s playoff hopes alive. It was also Noida Kings’ second straight defeat.
Rain delayed the game. The match was later reduced to 12 overs per side. Noida Kings posted 128/6 after a strong start.
Shoaib Siddiqui scored 20 off 10 balls. Madhav Kaushik smashed 31 off just 11 balls. Noida reached 45 without loss in only 2.2 overs.
However, Yashovardhan Singh changed the game. He picked up three wickets for just 10 runs. His spell also included a maiden over. Noida slipped to 69/5.
Captain Prashant Veer then played a key knock. He remained unbeaten on 50 off 27 balls. His innings helped Noida reach 128/6.
Rizvi Leads Kanpur’s Chase
Kanpur lost both openers early. Rizvi then took charge. He smashed an unbeaten 91 from only 39 balls.
His innings included 11 boundaries and five sixes. Abhishek Pandey supported him with an unbeaten 30 off 17 balls. Kanpur completed the chase in just 10.4 overs.
Rizvi also explained why he was used as an Impact Player after suffering a finger injury.
“In our first match, I took a catch and injured my finger. Since then, I’ve been having quite a lot of trouble while fielding,” Rizvi explained. “I told the management that I wanted to play as an Impact Player because whenever the ball hits my finger while fielding, the pain gets worse, and it was also causing problems while batting. So, we decided to use me as an Impact Player.”
Rizvi said his focus was on attacking during the short powerplay.
“It’s important to show intent during the powerplay,” Rizvi said. “Since it was a 12-over match and the target was around 130, if a team capitalises on the powerplay, it becomes easier to control the game later. I planned that because the powerplay was short; whatever runs I could score would help the team as much as possible.”
